A Big Girl Bed!

A big girl bed for Annabelle! This past weekend we were able to get Annabelle her own bed--LONG overdue, but worth the wait! She LOVES it and LOVED helping daddy put it together. It makes me a little sad to take away the crib. She loved her crib, preferred it to all other beds (including mom and dad's), and never once tried to get out on her own. Nevertheless, as soon as we started talking to her about getting a brand-new big girl bed, she was more than ready to give up the crib. As you can see in the following pictures, it was a wonderfully happy day for her. To be honest, it was also a wonderfully happy day for me and Josh as well--seeing your children excited, happy, helping out with little tasks, proud to be growing up and embracing change, are all amazing rewards of being a parent. We're so excited for you Annabelle!

My 1st time using a screwdriver! I'm pretty good and know exactly what to do already!
Look at me showing daddy how to work this thing!
My daddy is the BEST! I'm so glad we're doing this together.

Uh-oh...uhhh...dad? It says here the rails are upside down! Gotta start over!

We fixed it and are back on track. Phew!

Let me test this out. Yep! It'll work great. It sure feels good to relax after working so hard.

Look at me! I'm sitting in my new bed! I've got BIG plans for that drawer on the footboard--DRESS-UP stash!

I'm so excited! I really want to "go to my nap." Now can you get my mom to choose a blanket for me?!

Night at the Museum

We recently spent some fun family time at the Dinosaur Museum! Annabelle loves dinosaurs and dragons, so we decided to show them to her up close and personal. It was a wonderful time--we spent over 2 hours walking around, playing, experimenting, and eating at the cafe! She was a bit apprehensive and too scared to get close to the HUGE displays, but she still had a good time, was interested in what she was seeing, and was trying something new, which is definitely a good thing. She was sad when we had to leave, and has been asking me every day since "When is family time? Where are we going on our family time mom?" She must've enjoyed herself!

"Whoa! I threw a piece of paper up there, and it shot up to the ceiling!"


"The instructions say 'Can you make 4 sides?' That's challenging, but look at me! I'm smart, I'm focused, and I'm filled to the brim with confidence. You should see how fast I put together puzzles at home!"

"Dinosaurs make me so happy! Let's go see 'em"

"Uhhhhh they're A LOT bigger than I thought and I'm a little scared."

"Daddy and I both made fun pictures! He was very proud of his dragonfly!"

"I love this game! I can choose a dinosaur, push its button, and the big map shows me where in the world he lives!

"Normally I don't enjoy getting dirty, but after about 10 minutes of testing it out, I finally decided to reach in here--what a good choice! It was fun digging for little dinosaurs in 'dough.'

"I like to find friends wherever I go!"

"These are the dinosaurs I found!"

"Then out of nowhere, I saw 'Ariel's Shark!' Ya know, the one that chases Ariel and Flounder in the ocean? I was scared for a second and cried for my daddy, but now I can't wait to go back and see it again!"

"I'm much more comfortable in here, making my own fossil. Tyson is helping me and I told him 'I make cookies at my house too!' He laughed and laughed

"It just takes a little tap-tap-tap for those air bubbles to disappear."

"I did it! I LOVE it! The dinosaur museum is wonderful!"

Can't wait for more fun family time!

Polka Dot Cutie

"I LOVE this dress!"
"Ta Da"
"Cheese! Can I see?"
Just like a princess
How can you not LOVE that smile?!
Daydreaming about the polka dot bed she wants...to match her dress!

Funny, adorable, and pretty smart too!

LOVE her AND the polka dots